For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for July 08, 2010

Well, at least he’s trying. But as every man knows, this is a case of where you’re doomed no matter what you say.

You sit there and look sympathetic and never open your mouth.

However, if he were going to use that last line, it might have been better if he’d said, “At least we’re going together.”

I think you’re looking at a punch line and expecting reality.

I think his last line is FUNNY!!!!!!! And I’m a woman… lol

Funny and sweet. He gets it, for once.

You should see her on the cover of AARP.

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You have to watch Valerie AND Betty White on their new sitcom on TVLAND. It’s called ” Hot in Cleveland” . FUNNY !!!

Join me John, plenty of room on the couch

I thought it was sweet too, in its own way. I’m guessing this means the start of a new diet for them though…

John instructions are thus:

Open Mouth using one of your dental clamps. Shove foot in all the way to the ankle. Grab a blanket and pillow, and sleep on couch. Repeat often.

Oh, no–“FBoFW” is drifting into “Cathy” territory! Well, perhaps Lynn deals with things in a little more reasonable fashion…

Accept some reality, Elly: you and John are both middle aged. Nothing wrong with that. Time to stop judging yourselves (or allowing yourselves to be judged) by the standards of twenty-year-olds–or worse, by the standards of a Hollywood/Bally/NutraSweet industrial complex that rakes in billions of dollars a year by convincing perfectly healthy, normal middle-aged people that they’re “fat.” Go to the beach, wear what you please, and if somebody like Gretchen’s Mom (see yesterday’s comments) says “nobody wants to see that,” point to John (to whom you will always be the most beautiful woman in the world) and say, “Oh yeah? *HE* does!”

Yes, I have Hot in Cleveland scheduled with my upstairs(bedtime) TiVo. And Elly DOES smile, she’s just a little worried; she has always been a little too serious, though. I think a smile generally helps most situations, but even I have a few hot buttons (mostly about stupid politicians- so I try to avoid talking politics).

be careful where you go john, you may wind up sleeping in farley’s doghouse

Puddleglum, Ellie had her first child in her mid-twenties. Michael is now about 7 which makes her thirty-something. I don’t know about you, but around here early thirties is NOT middle aged.

I thought anything 30 or over is middle-aged. Now that I’m 50, my kids are telling me that I’m not considered “middle-aged” anymore, since it is rare for someone to live to be 100.

Can’t Gocomics block the word “air jordan” like they do obscene words? I thought they could do this, the way commenters use different ruses to say one of those words we were taught nice people didn’t use.

JanCinVV: Based on original publication dates, Elly was probably born sometime around 1960, at which time the life expectancy was about 72 years. So, the midpoint of that span would be 36. Of course, by the time the strip takes place, she’d already survived childhood diseases (which pull the expectation down a bit), so her life expectancy at the time of the strip would be around 76 years, with a midpoint at 38. Either way, if you assume the term “middle age” means a period centered on the midpoint of the life expectancy, she’s in middle age.

Society tends to define middle age as a period that begins when it’s obvious to all that your “attractiveness” is in decline (as measured by the Absolute Standard of Perfection put forth in fitness-club commercials), and ends when you’re judged unable to do useful work (the mandatory retirement age). Given yesterday’s strip, in which Elly looks at herself in light of the Standard and finds herself wanting (even though she’s still not bad looking, especially to John), it’s clear she’s past the first milestone.

For men, there’s an even simpler definition of middle aged: young guys have six-packs, middle-aged guys have a keg.

As an over 60, I am less concerned about carrying a little more weight than I am about having a husband who thinks we should not act like children.

His idea of adult behavior is to sit in front of the boob-tube, while I am still haunting comic shops and thinking of buying a kayak.

@puddleglum1066, you said “to whom you will always be the most beautiful woman in the world”. I think that’s a very sweet and romantic thing to say.

Now, is John the most handsome man in the world to Elly? He should be! Fair is fair.

ellisaana: Go for it, girl!!!!!

puddlegum1066: That’s fine that John thinks Elly still looks great in a 2-piece bikini (my husband would say the same thing about me – that is, if I still wore a 2-piece bikini, which I do not) ………. but not everybody else does! No, she’s not that overweight but the butt and belly she’s sporting these days (remember a few months back when she had to lay on her bed, sweating, grunting and groaning to get her pants up???!!!) should be appropriately covered (if for no other reason than to show a little bit of self-respect). Given that she, herself, thinks she’s “fat”, all the more reason to switch gears and buy that 1-piece I was talking about yesterday like I have! It’s cute, it’s youthful, and it nicely covers up my two worst areas (which probably aren’t really any worse than hers). Now, since you yourself called Elly middle-aged, then you should know that women that age no longer have the bodies of young, nubile, teenage girls any more and should, therefore, dress accordingly. She doesn’t have to wear something frumpy to make people think she’s a hundred but she definitely should not shop in the “junior” department of Wal-Mart either. That’s just all I’m saying.